Metal colloid synthesis electrostatic stabilization

Controlled hydrolysis is one of the most popular methods for processing silica spheres in the range of 10-1,000 nm. The method was developed by Stober, Fink, and Bohn (SFB) [226-229] and is based on the hydrolysis of TEOS in a basic solution of water and alcohol. Particle size depends on the reactant concentration, i.e., the TEOS/alcohol ratio, water concentration, and pH (>7). This method has been extended to other metal oxide systems with similar success, particularly for Ti02 synthesis [85,230]. The hydrous oxide particles precipitated by the hydrolysis of an alkoxide compound have the same tendency to agglomerate as that described for metal colloid systems. Different stabilizers can be used to stabilize these particles and prevent coagulation (step 2). These stabilizers control coagulation by electrostatic repulsion or by steric effects [44], similarly to the metal colloid systems. 

Only a few studies concerning the synthesis of ruthenium particles have been published, most of them reporting the use of RuCh as metal precursor. For example, stable colloidal solutions of monodisperse Ru particles can be obtained by reduction of RuCh in polyols. The stabilization is then achieved by addition of poly (vinyl) pyrrolidone (PVP) (steric stabilization) or of sodium acetate (electrostatic stabilization) [165]. 

The main role of stabilizers (surfactants or polymers) is to provide a steric or an electrostatic barrier between particles, thereby preventing inhibition of aggregation. Furthermore, stabilizers play an essential role in the control of both size and shape of nanoparticles. Generally, polymers are recommended as stabilizers for metal colloids due to their transparent, permeable, and nonconductive properties and also because they do not influence the optical, electrical, and catalytic properties of the nanoparticles. In addition, investigation of polymer-stabilized MNPs appears as a suitable way for solving the stability of MNPs. For this reason, great attention has been focused on the incorporation of MNPs into a polymer matrix, a procedure based on the synthesis of nanometer-sized metallic filler particles (Giannazzo et al. 2011). 

Electrostatic and steric stabilization are, in a sense, combined in the use of long-chain alkylammonium cations and surfactants, either in single-phase sols or in the reverse micelle synthesis of colloidal metals. 

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